{Ahh..the little things}

trick or treat

Tonight is the big night around here, the kids are sure to have a blast and (with any luck) get worn out from all of the walking.  Chances are they will consume enough sugar to keep them going all night anyway *sigh*

I am fighting a cold, or what seems to be a sinus infection.  It has been a rough few weeks for me, but I just keep on going - I have to.  I sound horrible, but really my headache is the worst of my complaints, and that is nothing that a little bit constant flow of Advil does not kick.

Today Zander had a pajama party at preschool - it was so cute seeing him walk in with his jammies on and a blanket & pillow in tow :)

I just finished up everything for the kids' school parties tomorrow, I just need to pick up the juices tonight and we will be good to go.  The only problem?  I can not find anyone to look after my littlest ones.  It is not a problem if they come along, but I was hoping that I could focus on the big kids - after all, I am there to HELP.  I am not sure how much help I am with my two little monsters running circles around me  :)  Maybe they will provide some extra entertainment.  Wishful thinking!

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I've been reading The Strong Willed Child.  It is a classic from my MIL's library that I adopted a few years ago when they were moving and she was cleaning out some old books.  It has been sitting on my shelf since and I must say that I am SO glad that I came across it.  It could not have fallen into my hands at any better time.  If anyone reading this has ever struggled with what you thought was a strong willed child, this book is so insightful.  I'd love to talk (e-mail) with you about it.  I've just started reading it and have already learned so much about me (not just the child that I consider strong willed) and wonderful ways to save our relationship (as well my sanity).  I find myself calling people through out the day just to say "I just read this.....or that....and isn't that SO true?"  I love that something(s) that have been causing me alot of stress can be spelled out so simply and that Dr. Dobson gives REAL solutions.  It just takes some work and discipline on my (and Harry's) part and everything is going to be fine.  That is something I really needed to know.  It WILL be okay.

I know that kind of came from out of nowhere, I am sorry.  I have chosen not to share the details of some problems that I've been having at home with one of my children, mostly because I love them very much and do not want the "ugly" side of our relationship out there.  But recently it has come to a point where I worry about the future of this child,  about the effect that our negative relationship is having on them, and on our family.  More to come, I promise...

I wish everyday could feel like this

The weekend before last (I think) we did not have much going on and we all loved just being home.  I am ready for some more of just that, and so are the kids (Kaden even says "why do we always have to go someplace?")  We've been busy doing so many fun fall things, but now it is already getting colder and everyone is ready to stay home have some down time.

This afternoon/evening I am enjoying it to the fullest.

A big pot of veggie soup on the stove &  pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven. 

The pumpkins that we carved last night are on the kitchen table with candles lit - the kids want to see their creations and are not ready to send them outside just yet :)  I am cuddled in a big warm sweater because it is freezing outside.  The heat is on in the house and all are comfy & cozy.

What is your favorite way to enjoy a cold fall day at home?  I think the only thing that would make it any better here tonight would be apple crisp or hot apple cider.  And I think I might just have the ingredients for apple crisp...

cupcakes and birthdays and candy and parties and games - oh my!

Or, this could easily be named random post # __   , but I am not sure what number I am on now :)

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Let's start with the way my week began, shall we?

Monday I was getting ready for the day when all of a sudden my back just doubled me over with pain.  I was not stretching or bending, yet the next moment, I was bent over in extreme pain and unable to move.  All of this BEFORE I woke the kids up for school.  Thankfully Harry was home & brought me pain meds and then got the kids ready and off to school.  Then he fed the little ones and. went. to. work.  Believe it or not, my two littlest were angels, leaving me to lay in my bed or on the couch all day.  With each day, the pain has started get less intense (hey, I can move now!) and now I am dealing with some numb spots.  I think I must have a pinched nerve & wouldn't you know that my FIL chiropractor has been on vacation this week?  Of course :)  As of yesterday, I am not having  as much pain, but still am very numb between my shoulders. I have scoliosis and wore a brace in my early teen years (think sixteen candles - water fountain scene - that was me...poor thing, right?)  Anyway, I am not sure if that is the underlying cause of all of this, but will see my FIL as soon as I can in hopes that it is nothing serious.

Aside from  the tough time I had Monday, the rest of the week I could handle the pain with meds and taking it easy.  I did manage to go to Zander's Harvest party yesterday, and do some shopping for Kadens birthday. 

As I mentioned, I also made cupcakes yesterday a few days ago & I had such fun, but had a VERY hard time letting the kids do their own thing this time.  Bad Mommy, I know, but I wanted them to look good.  They did put some of the eyes together before hand with me, but I did most of the decorating myself.  They are very cute and I can't wait to hear what he says about his class and if they enjoyed them.  Now that he is a big 3rd grader the teacher asked that I drop them off in the AM and they would work them in sometime during the day.  This growing up stuff is hard to deal with!!

Here are the finished cupcakes - aren't they so fun?

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Most of the above was started over the last few days, so that brings us to today (Sunday) where I am up early with the little ones despite Kaden & his friends staying up LATE playing PS2 games.  Yesterday was his big day and instead of planning a big birthday party, we decided to have a couple of friends over to celebrate. 

Harry picked them all up and took them to eat, then they all came back here to watch the Ohio State game and stay over night.  We lost one boy due to the neighbors (who are older) scaring the boys through the basement windows.  He wanted to go home, so we ended up with just 2 staying the night.  They had alot of fun & though it was wild at times, I would do it again (and will for Ellie) but I am not sure Harry will go for it  :)  He is one that does not always enjoy having extra kids around, yet he is married to me - the crazy lady that has four kids and always has extras along too!  Poor guy.  

Kaden collected lots of birthday $$ and a few great gifts too - the best being his new Tony Hawk skateboard and lots of Ohio State gear.  *a side note to family reading - Kaden has declared that he is no longer a Bengals fan (who can blame him this year, right?)!  For Christmas shopping I would suggest that you go with OSU until the Bengals start looking up again :)  He is such a grown up "child" already, I can completely understand the word "tween" now - we are right there.  No longer a little kid - forget toys, except an occasional cool lego set- and he is already asking to be left home alone & to walk to school, etc.  I can't believe it is already time to make these decisions...

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I am addicted to reading cupcake blogs at the moment - have you seen how cute some of these cupcakes are?  Last night I even found anADORAble apple one that I will try for Ava's birthday.  I bought one of those cupcake stands, and I think that an apple or two (mixed in with plain white) would be SO cute on the stand.  The apple theme is what got me started on the red velvet mix too, and now I think it is so good.  We mix some mini chocolate chips into the boxed mix and the kids (and friends) think that I make the BEST cupcakes ever  :)

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With Kaden's birthday behind us, it is Halloween time.  Harvest parties,  trick or treat & carving pumpkins this week.  It should be a fun week - but crazy too due to  SUGAR OVERLOAD!

Here are just a few of the games I found and am considering for the kids' classes -

Spider Web

Supplies needed:
Ball of black yarn

Children stand in a circle. A ball of yarn is thrown across to another child. The child holds on to a piece of the yarn and then throws the ball across to another child. Continue until a spider web is created.

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Very simple! Fill a jar with Halloween candy and, as each guest arrives, have them write down a guess as to how many pieces are in the jar. Everyone only gets 1 guess and the person who is the closest gets to take home the jar.

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Halloween bingo (you can find lots of cards to print out online & use candy corn as cover ups

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Use a cookie cutter shaped like a pumpkin and trace 12 pumpkins (or the number of guests who will be at the party) on orange construction paper, cut them out. Note it is important to try and make these the same size. Then take 11 of the pumpkins and write Trick on the back and on 1 write Treat. Adjust the ratio of Tricks to Treats if needed.

On the Trick pumpkins write a silly thing to do like walk like a spider, or cackle like a witch, or flap your wings like a bat, dance like a fairy, walk like Frankenstein and more.

Now put all the pumpkins in a plastic witch kettle and have each child draw one out. If they get the treat one then let them choose a treat out of another bucket or award them a prize. If they get the trick they have to do what it says to earn the treat. Or for additional fun you can continue to make them do additional silly things until they pick out a treat.

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And finally....Today is GIRLS DAY OUT! 

Ellie & I are headed out with one of her girl scout friends and her Mom to see High School Musical 3 this afternoon.  It should be lots of fun - I can't wait :) 

i'm alive (& baking)

I'm still alive and I've been working on a long catch-up post this afternoon, but I am just too busy/distracted to finish.

I am baking cupcakes for Kaden's class for tomorrow & his birthday (which is Saturday).  He decided he wanted some more of the Red Velvet ones I made the other day, and he wanted them decorated like we did a few years ago - we called them "creepcakes"  :)

Busy, busy, busy...

trouble

The last couple of days I have been having some "trouble" with one of my kids...little Miss Ava refuses to wear anything but jammies.

When we are ready to go somewhere I have to fight her (literally - kicking and screaming) to get dressed, and if I do not get out of the house immediately after dressing her, she will undress herself.  She has been known to do this numerous times before leaving IF I dress her ahead of time. 

When we return home, it is clothes off & jammies on. 

And, they are the same pair of jammies.  Every single day. 

Today I was able to sneak the top away and into the dirty clothes, then had to convince her that tinkerbell was just as good as "Diego"  (which is what she calls Dora).

This girl is nothing but trouble!  Okay, I guess that is not entirely true...she can be cute & loveable too, and she talks up a storm now.  You should hear her tell me stories, it melts my heart.  I need to get a video of it, it really is precious.

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Completely unrelated - I've been avoiding doubling alot of my recipes/foods for quite some time, I've known that my kids could eat more, but I am good at adding other things (butter bread is a big one) so that they are well fed.  Today for lunch I made two boxes of mac n cheese for the first time, and served it with chunks of ham.  They ate nearly all of it.  Now I can't believe that I was getting by with just one.  Tonight is taco night, where most likely, I will be cooking 2 lbs of meat instead of just one.  Life just got a little more expensive!

time to rest

I am very excited that today is (almost) behind me. 

You can read how I spent my day today over at Midwest Parents.

Now I am home, it is time to rest.  The kids want to have friends over and I had to tell them no this time.  Tomorrow they do have the day off of school, but tonight I want to relax.  And relaxing tomorrow would be great too :)  I've been slacking on my cleaning, so I am sure I will have to do some of that tomorrow (blah) but otherwise, the day is open to doing NOTHING and that sounds great.  Maybe tonight I'll go get some movies and we'll have movie/pajama day - hey, any excuse to stay in jammies all day is good, right?

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The kids got their school pictures back this week & I was very happy with both of them.  Aren't they just too cute?

 

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Maybe later I will upload the pictures from the pumpkin patch(es).  We arrived home with FIVE more pumpkins, and we already had this many on the porch...

 

It now look as if they are multiplying.  Any ideas on what to so with all of these pumpkins?  I am sure we will not carve them all.  I am thinking about picking up some of those Mr.Potato head-ish decorating things for the kids as they are already dying to carve, but it is just too soon.   As you see, we already painted some, but that is only fun for so long, and they always want MORE :)

At least we will have a TON of yummy pumpkin seeds to roast if we do carve them all!

Life

Just when you think all is well, and things will settle down (remember we finished soccer this weekend?) life throws something else at you.

Sunday, Ellie & I had a huge fight.  It had been coming for quite a while (we butt heads alot) but it was like the fights I expected to deal with when I havea teen girl, not an (almost) seven yr old.  She has been acting out, being disrespectful, and the list goes on.  We are looking for ways to deal with it and I am hopeful that we can get things back under control.  She is an angel outside of the house (no exaggeration here, either) so I am struggling with why she is so hard at home.  Of course, I am blaming myself (what Mother doesn't?) and trying to find ways to fix ME and my reaction/attitude too.

Yesterday my stupid gall bladder acted up.  I fought with the pain most of the afternoon before calling Harry to come home so I could go to the hospital.  Everyone else was there too, literally.  I waited nearly 4 HOURS in the waiting room BEFORE being seen or given any pain relief.  Thankfully, I am on to this whole gall bladder thing and went to the hospital in pain, but not when it was unbearable.  I was checked/treated quickly once I had my room and they found no infection or other problems with my other organs, and just gave me pain meds & instructions to follow up with a surgeon.  Wait, haven't we been here before (twice even)?  Yes, I know I NEED to do this surgery and do it soon.

Today I am feeling better, and I did not need to  take any more meds after I left the hospital last night.  I slept very well (they gave me some strong stuff there) but I am stillfeeling a little tired. I am sure it is just because of the pain yesterday and the meds from last night.  I plan to take it easy today and keep an eye on my diet.  I still need the surgery anyway too, but will most likely wait until the crazy birthday/holiday season has passed so that I can rest up well.

So, this is life here right now.  Never a dull moment, huh?

slacker

At least when it comes to blogging.  I am anything but in my day to day life...

Our days have been filled up this week with "things" -  the normal everyday things, some extra things, some fun things - just lots of things.  I hate saying I've been busy because that is just a given with four kids :)  But,we have been a little extra busy it seems.  MOPS and soccer and a lunch date and colds and helping a friend with her kids and, and , and. 

Next week is more of the same, there are two things going each day but Monday.  We've got school lunch day (both bigs on the same days) and field trips (two pumpkin patches in one day - no I am not doing both!) an early dismissal, and two girl scout things.  Life is crazy busy.  Some days I am honestly going to bed wondering if I really talked with Kaden today or hugged Ellie enough, etc.

Thankfully tomorrow are the last soccer games, and then that will let up on our schedule some.  I want my kids to be involved in things, but it sure gets hard on parents (and other siblings) constantly being on the go and at the fields. 

We are lucky to have a next door neighbor that is flexible and comes over at a moments notice.  This week for one of the games, Zander had been playing outside, and really did not want to leave.  I told him we could ask the neighbor to come over, and she was there in 15 minutes, leaving just Harry & I to go watch Ellie's game ALONE!  We did alot of laughing and talking, which is so much fun for us, and unfortunately lately, we're just too busy to do those simple things.  His long hours, and our busy life has us meeting up at night on the couch when we are both ready to crash (especially him who falls asleep at the drop of a hat when he sits down for the day).

Tonight Ellie & I get to get away together for a girl scout overnight!  I am very excited, it should be lots of fun for us.  I am also happy for Harry to have some time with the other kids alone, because like I said, he has been working alot.  They need this time with their Daddy.

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she is almost TWO and I've been planning ahead :)

 

Her party will be apple themed (that is a scanned piece of her dress) with simple red & white decorations.  I am hunting down a cupcake stand now and will just make cupcakes with bright red icing and place them on the cupcake stand.  I am excited about a party, but ignoring the fact that my BABY will be two.

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Some pics of our fun outside yesterday.  The kids were climbing/running up the hill & rolling back down.  They had alot of fun doing it over & over again :)

welcoming fall

The first few days of the month I spent my time relaxing and trying not to let that cold catch me.  I did pretty good, I felt tired & run down (still do) but have not been really down and out.  I still have a stuffy nose and scratchy throat, but I think I am on the upswing now!

Friday I had an unexpected visit/lunch with my friend Judi, her daughter & her Mom.  She has moved to Ohio now and they were headed to take Katelyn to see her Dad for the weekend.  My house was right on the way, so they visited here & we took the kids to lunch at Cracker Barrel and had a fun afternoon visiting, well, most of it was fun - my two decided to both have HUGE meltdowns that took the relaxing part away :)  at least it was after we were home, and not in the restaurant!  After they left, I threw some spaghetti together & the kids and I made some awesome oatmeal cookies.  The rest of the evening, I went back to relaxing and finished my book  - yay!

Saturday, we had two soccer games, then Ellie & I went on her Brownie trip to the pumpkin patch together.  She had fun with the girls checking out the corn maze, animals, a big slide, etc then the troop took the hayride out to the field to pick our pumpkins.  It warmed up in the afternoon, so it was a perfect day for it.  Here she is on her quest for the perfect pumpkin :)

 

 

 

On our way home, we decided to stop at the store to buy the supplies to make caramel apples.  It was alot of fun, and made for a great snack later that night too :)  I think the kids enjoyed eating the toppings during the process just as much as the decorating (or maybe even more so)!  Instead of posting the entire ton of pictures I took, I made an online album to share.  There is this one though that I think is the cutest, Ava looked at the big kids, then copied what they were doing, all the while yelling "cheeeeeeese"

 

Today we have 2 birthday parties, one of which is Harry's sister, so we get to spend some time tonight at the in-laws house.  The kids always LOVE being around their grandparents, so it should be lots of fun.  She (my sil-Renee) also recently got married and because she lives far away (Vegas) we've yet to even meet her new husband! 

An exciting day lies ahad - I better shower considering it is already lunch time...

October 1

And already it is COLD outside... only 60 here today, and compared to the 70+ yesterday, paired with no sun - it is feeling very COLD! 

I did some scrapping this morning and have spent the rest of the morning trying to warm up.

Aves is fighting a yucky cold, and I am afraid that I am catching it  :(    I have that deep achy feeling coming on, and that means fever.  I hope I am wrong and that is is just the cold, but my throat has a little scratchy feel too, so I think her cold is spreading - UGH!

This past weekend  I saw Nights in Rodanthe TWICE and I guess I do not have to say I loved it. 

I also baked a loaf of pumpkin bread to welcome fall.

This coming weekend begins the fall fun & I am excited!  Ellie and I are going for a Brownie field trip to one of the local farms for a hayride, etc.  It will be a fun Mommy & me kind of day, and I love doing it with the kids when I can.  She also has a birthday party to go to, so she is the lucky girl this weekend.

The end of this month will bring Kaden's 9th birthday.  NINE years old.  wow.

Completely random post, I know.  I just had some things in my mind, and none went with the other  :)  I am off to the couch to relax for about an hour before we have to get the kids from school.  I need a blanket & a book and I will be a happy Momma :)

Random post = random silly picture